Sweet and Sour
by Chibi Yoshi
Summary: It's the Christmas season, but one dark hedgehog is none too cheery. A chance encounter with a young rabbit, however, leads to a series of mishaps that could change his view of the holidays forever.
1. Toys and Troubles

Author's Notes

Re-uploaded because it got deleted for "bad grammar". I have made little or no grammatical changes here, so I'll let you decide how bad my grammar is.

I started this a few years ago as a Christmas story, and never got around to finishing it. It's _still _not finished, actually, but I hope to get the last chapter written soon. n.n; Be warned, there is lots of sappiness, but also lots of humor. Anyway, enjoy!

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Sweet and Sour

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Chapter 1: Toys and Troubles

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_Why am I here?_ Shadow thought, more than a bit annoyed. He disliked large crowds, which is exactly where he found himself on this busy winter morning. This was December 22, and anxious last-minute shoppers were scurrying throughout the shopping district of Central City to find the perfect gifts. In the middle of this mess were two hedgehogs, a fox, and one very disgruntled Ultimate Lifeform.

"Why did you have to drag me along with you on this pointless trip?" he half growled.

Sonic grinned over his shoulder at him. "Aw, come on, Shads! Show a little holiday spirit!"

Shadow glared in return. "Don't call me that."

Sonic shrugged, exasperated. "Bah humbug to you, too."

The young, two-tailed fox looked back at Shadow as well. "It's Christmas-time, Shadow! It's a time of love and kindness--"

"--and lots of great shopping deals!" the pink hedgehog interrupted with a giggle.

Tails sweatdropped. "Right…" The trio laughed, while Shadow snorted in disgust.

They continued down the street, Shadow's quills bristling each time he was jostled by one of the careless humans. Before long, they came to a fairly large shop displaying various plush toys and other cute collectibles in its front window. Tails and Amy's eyes lit up.

"Ooh, Sonic, Let's go in this one!" Amy pled.

"Yeah! Can we?" Tails begged, his twin tails twitching excitedly.

Sonic looked at Shadow out of the corner of his eye. The black hedgehog returned with what could only be described as a 'death-glare.' The blue hedgehog grinned mischievously. "Sure, why not?" Amy and Tails both cheered and dashed into the store. Sonic turned back to Shadow and grabbed his arm, still grinning. "Let's go, Shads!"

Though it didn't seem possible, the dark hedgehog glared even more fiercely as he was dragged into the store. "I'll get you for this, blue hedgehog," he growled through clenched teeth.

Inside the store, plush toys of every kind lined the walls and shelves in between. Amy and Tails were already running around, gawking at the cute toys. It didn't take long for Amy to find a stuffed likeness of her blue idol.

"Sonic!" Amy squealed, running up to him. She held it out for him to see. "It looks just like you! Isn't it cuuute?"

Sonic eyed the doll's blank expression and lopsided grin skeptically, and he could have sworn he heard Shadow snicker quietly behind him. He sweatdropped. "Yeah… sure, Amy…"

Amy snuggled the doll and was about to go look at more dolls when Tails ran up to them, tears of mirth in his eyes.

"You guys… have to come… see this!" he gasped between spurts of laughter. "It's great!"

Tails led the group through the store to an area near the back, finally stopping in a somewhat open area. In the middle of the clearing stood a single bobo doll in the likeness of the infamous Dr. Eggman.

Sonic burst out laughing. "An Eggman bobo doll! That's awesome! That'd make a _perfect_ gift for Knuckles!"

Tails could no longer contain his laughter either. "Or I could send one to Eggman himself. Maybe Metal Sonic would have fun with it."

"I wouldn't mind hitting his ugly face a few times, myself!" Amy declared, giggling as she bopped the doll a few times.

"Hey, let me have a shot at 'im!" Sonic cried, jumping in with a few quick jabs to the doll's belly.

They continued in this way, each taking turns hitting the Eggman doll and laughing as it bounced back. Shadow stood back and watched them, rolling his eyes at their antics. "Like a bunch of children…" he muttered. He was just about ready to walk out on them when he felt something grab his waist.

"Mommy! I want this one!"

Shadow looked down to see a little girl, no more than four years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was clutching and cuddling his torso happily while Shadow sweatdropped, immobilized by his awkward predicament.

"Pleeeaaaase, Mommy? It's so cute!" the child begged.

An older woman walked over and eyed the 'doll.' "Are you sure you want that one, honey? It looks a little scary…"

"Aw, he's not scary!" Sonic said, strolling over with a gleam in his eyes that Shadow didn't like one bit. Grinning impishly, he then proceeded to pull the dark hedgehog's mouth into a smile. "See?"

Shadow immediately felt the urge to kill, but before he could act on this impulse, Tails appeared on his other side to join in the fun. "And look at his cute little ears! Makes you just want to grab 'em!" And he proceeded to grab Shadow's ears and rub them, grinning at Sonic.

The little girl gazed in awe. "Ooh… I wanna try, too!" She jumped up and grabbed his ears just as Tails let them go. Unfortunately, her diminutive size resulted in the girl dangling from his ears, pulling on them quite painfully. "Wooow… they're so soft!" She cooed, smiling broadly. Amy took the opportunity to pull out her camera and snap a picture, the trio stifling their laughter.

Shadow, on the other hand, had reached his limit of tolerance. "ENOUGH!" he roared. The girl let go of his ears in surprise, falling to the floor. Shadow seethed. "I… am NOT… A TOY!!"

The mother shrieked and grabbed her stunned daughter, running away as quickly as possible. The child looked back over her mother's shoulder, starry-eyed. "It's _alive_? Spiffy…" she said dreamily.

As soon as they left, Sonic, Tails, and Amy burst out laughing. "That was great!" Sonic exclaimed, tears in his eyes.

Tails was also doubled over with laughter. "The way she was hanging from his ears…!" Another fit of laughter interrupted his sentence

Amy giggled uncontrollably. "And I got it on film!"

Sonic stopped to catch his breath for a moment. He turned to Shadow. "Oh man, Shads, you make a great plush t--"

He stopped mid-sentence as he saw the look of fury in the black hedgehog's entire countenance. Their laughter stopped abruptly, quickly replaced with nervous sweatdrops. They recoiled as Shadow slowly advanced on them, the enraged hedgehog seeming to tower ominously over them. His voice was low and deadly. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you all right now."

Tails smiled nervously. "Uh… because it's Christmas?"

Amy gave it a shot, too. "Because… um… I'm cute?" And she put on her cutest smile.

Sonic backed away, sensing that he would be Shadow's first victim. "Uh… uh…" He grabbed the Eggman bobo doll and placed it between Shadow and himself. "Why don't you beat this up instead?" he suggested with a nervous laugh.

Shadow stopped and stared at the doll in annoyance. Watching Eggman's stupid grin bob back and forth really did make him want to punch it, but he refused to give Sonic the satisfaction. He growled and turned away. "That's it, I'm leaving." And he did just that, storming angrily out of the store.

The black hedgehog continued marching down the street, not bothering to avoid bumping into other people. He was going nowhere in particular, aiming only to distance himself from that store. Eventually the crowds of shoppers began to thin, and Shadow slowed down to a calmer pace. As he walked he saw all of the cheerful people walking by, some with excited children in tow. He felt resentment at the sight, and at the same time… envy.

Something small and cold abruptly landed on his head, and he looked up to see small flakes of white beginning to drift down from the sky. He held out a gloved hand caught one of the flakes. _Snow… she would have liked to see this…_ he thought sadly. The snowflake soon melted in his warm hand, and he clenched his fist around the cool dampness that remained. _I'll never enjoy this season again, never--_

His train of thought was interrupted when a young boy bumped roughly into him as he dashed by. "Hey, watch it!" Shadow yelled to the boy's back.

"Please, come back!" a small voice cried behind him. "Oh no, LOOK OUT!"

Shadow turned around just in time to see a flying rabbit coming right at him, futilely trying to stop. Before he had a chance to react, the rabbit collided with his face, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Dazed for a moment, Shadow slowly sat up and shook his head. _This is not my day…_ He heard a gasp and the rabbit scrambled to her feet and started bowing repeatedly in front of him.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me!" the girl apologized emphatically. She was young—around six years old— and had cream-colored fur with light brown markings and eyes. She wore a warm red-orange coat with a light blue scarf, and red and yellow boots.

Shadow eyed the girl with some annoyance, his mood tempting him to yell at her. However, when he noticed the tear streaks on her face, he thought better of it. He stood up, brushing himself off. "It's all right… why are you in such a hurry?"

The girl gasped again, straightening up. "Oh no!" she cried, looking down the road. "Now I'll never catch up to him!" Her eyes began to well up with tears.

Shadow grew a little nervous at that, and kneeled down to try to calm her. "Wait, catch who?"

The rabbit sniffled and pointed over his shoulder. "The boy that ran by… he took my Chao friend… oh, what am I going to do?" She started to sob into her hands.

Shadow looked over his shoulder just in time to see the boy in question turn a corner in the distance. He turned back to the rabbit and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll get your friend back for you."

She looked up just in time to see the hedgehog dash off in the opposite direction. Her eyes widened at his incredible speed. She knew only one hedgehog that could run that fast… "Was that… Sonic-san?" Brimming with curiosity, she trotted after him.

Shadow rounded the corner and saw the boy not too far ahead in a long alley. He chased after him, his hover-skates casting a soft glow on the thin layer of snow below. Within seconds he caught up to the boy and leapt over his head. The boy skidded to a halt as the hedgehog landed in front of him, clutching the upset Chao in his arms.

"That Chao doesn't belong to you," Shadow said, glaring at the boy. "Return it. Now."

The brown-haired boy backed away slightly. "M--make me!"

Shadow snorted in amusement. For a kid who was no more than 12 years old, he had guts. "All right, I will." He slowly advanced on the boy, who turned and ran in the opposite direction. Shadow simply ran past him and blocked his way again. The boy stopped abruptly again, but this time slipped on the snow and fell backwards. The Chao rolled out of his arms as he hit the ground.

"Cheese!" The rabbit girl cried as she ran to them. She bent over and picked up the little Chao. "You're all right! I'm so glad!"

The black hedgehog looked down at the boy, who was shivering fearfully on the ground. "P--please don't hurt me!" the boy pled.

Shadow frowned. "Why shouldn't I, thief?"

Now the boy looked like he was going to cry. "I--I'm sorry… I just wanted to get something for my little sister… but I don't have the money to buy anything…"

"That doesn't give you the right to steal from others," Shadow retorted. "I should take you to the police."

The boy's fear heightened at that, but the rabbit girl intervened. "It's all right, you can let him go." The other two stared at her, but she simply smiled. She walked up to the boy and held out her hand to help him up. Hesitantly he took it, though it wasn't much help since he was so much taller than she was. "Thanks…" he replied.

The girl smiled again. "You're welcome. My name is Cream." She bowed again. "And this is Cheese," she said, gesturing to the Chao in her arms.

"Chao!" Cheese chimed happily, apparently having already forgotten the incident.

"Hi… I'm Chris," the boy responded nervously.

"Nice to meet you, Chris-san!" Cream said cheerfully. "I can understand that you'd want to get something nice for your sister… why don't you make something nice for her?"

Chris looked down at the ground. "Maybe…"

"Then you could put your whole heart into it and really show her how much you love her! I think that would make her happy, don't you?"

Chris smiled a little, infected by her cheerfulness. "Yeah, I suppose you're right… I'm sorry I tried to take Cheese…"

Cream shook her head. "That's all right. Just promise not to do that anymore, okay?"

"Alright, I promise," he replied, laughing a little. He glanced at Shadow, who closed his eyes and turned away. Chris sweatdropped. "Um, I guess I should get back home." He started to trot down the alley. "Sorry for all the trouble! Bye!"

"Bye, Chris-san!" Cream waved along with Cheese. When he was out of sight, she turned back to the dark hedgehog. "Thank you so much for getting Cheese back for me… oh! How silly of me! We haven't properly met! I'm Cream the Rabbit, and this is Cheese." She bowed yet again.

Her politeness made him feel a bit uneasy. "I'm Shadow… Shadow the Hedgehog."

Cream smiled sweetly again. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Shadow-san!" Cheese added an emphatic "chao, chao!"

Shadow looked away again. "Well now that you've gotten your Chao back, shouldn't you be with your parents or something?"

"Oh, Mama's probably worried about us, Cheese! We'd better go find her!" She looked up at Shadow. "But I'd like to introduce you to her. Would you come with us?"

Shadow looked at her out of the side of his eye, hesitant to accept. But the look on her face was so expectant… He sighed. "Alright, I'll come…"

Cream and Cheese cheered and began to lead the way. "I think I remember where she was… this way!"


	2. Marshmallows and Mischief

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Chapter 2: Marshmallows and Mischief

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Cream trotted ahead, with Cheese flying next to her. Shadow followed behind them, a bit puzzled by his own feelings. He should have been annoyed at having to accompany this child, but her happy mood seemed to eat away at his bitterness. Still, his stubborn pride diligently fought off the impulse to smile as he watched her skip along.

After walking in silence for a few minutes, Cream fell back to walk alongside the dark hedgehog. She looked up at him, at which point he made sure to harden his expression. "So, Shadow-san," she began, "have you done your Christmas shopping yet?"

"No, not really," Shadow answered simply, continuing to stare straight ahead.

"Oh, I haven't finished my shopping yet, either," she continued, not deterred in the least. "We've been shopping with my mother all morning. It can be quite tiring after a while!"

"Hm, indeed." Annoyance sparked up again.

"Who do you need to shop for, Shadow-san?" the girl asked innocently.

Shadow looked away. "No one, really."

"Oh? You must have some friends or family to get gifts for, right?"

His voice lowered. "My only family died long ago."

Cream's ears drooped a little. "Oh… I'm sorry…" She paused a moment, looking down at the ground. "My father died when I was little, too." She looked up and smiled. "But Mama and I still give him flowers every Christmas. Maybe you could do that, too!"

Shadow looked down at her and couldn't help smiling slightly at her innocence. "Maybe."

"Chao chao!" Cheese suddenly cried, pointing ahead with one of his little paws.

Cream looked ahead and saw an older rabbit looking around anxiously. "Oh! There's my mother! Mama!" she yelled, waving.

The woman looked up, relief lighting her face when she saw them. "Cream!" she cried, running toward her daughter. The little rabbit ran as well, jumping into her mother's arms. "Oh, Cream! I've been looking all over for you! I was so worried!" Noticing a familiar hedgehog walking up, she bowed her head in a sign of gratitude. "Thank you for finding her, Sonic--" She stopped abruptly as she got a better look at him. "Oh! I'm terribly sorry, I thought you were someone else..."

Cream giggled, hopping out of her mother's arms. "I thought he was Sonic-san at first, too, Mama. This is Shadow the Hedgehog. He helped me get Cheese back!"

"I see!" her mother replied, smiling. She looked much like a larger version of Cream, albeit much more mature in both appearance and style. She bowed gracefully, hands clasped in front of her lavender and pink dress as she introduced herself. "My name is Vanilla the Rabbit. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shadow."

He could see where Cream got her politeness from. "…Likewise."

"Thank you very much for helping my daughter. Is there some way that we can repay your kindness?"

Shadow blinked then looked away. "T—that's not necessary…"

Cream's eyes lit up as an idea formed in her head. "I know, Mama! Let's all go to Cali-san's café for hot cocoa!"

"That's a great idea, dear." Vanilla looked up at the dark hedgehog. "Won't you join us? My treat," she added with a smile.

Shadow was ready to decline the offer, but the hopeful look on Cream's face completely melted his resolve. Looking from rabbit to rabbit, he sighed inwardly. "Alright."

Cream and Cheese cheered again, and Vanilla smiled happily. "Wonderful! It's not far from here, and her cocoa is delicious."

"Yeah! Let's hurry!" Cream excitedly grabbed Shadow's hand and began tugging him along behind her. The hedgehog sweatdropped, while Vanilla merely laughed at her daughter's enthusiasm.

Within a few minutes they arrived at the little restaurant. Shadow looked up at the sign over the door as they entered. _The Calico Café._ The warm atmosphere inside was a welcome change from the cold weather outdoors. Mellow hues of yellow and orange decorated the walls, complimented by the wooden browns of the floor and furniture.

Shadow soon realized how the café got its name when they were greeted by a mottled cat. She wore a short, frilly red dress with a white apron, as well as a red bow on the end of her tail. The calico smiled happily as she walked up to them. "Well, if it isn't my favorite customers! How are you, Vanilla?"

The rabbit smiled back at her. "I'm just fine. And you?"

"Oh, working hard as usual. Or pretending to, at least," she added, winking at Cream. She bent down to the young rabbit and Chao. "And what's new with these little munchkins? Staying out of trouble, I hope?"

Cream sweatdropped. "Well… we try to…"

"Chao…" Cheese added with an embarrassed smile.

The cat laughed and shook her head. "Some things never change." She straightened and fixed her gaze on the dark hedgehog lingering behind the other two. "And who might this handsome fellow be?"

Shadow merely glared back at her, but Cream took the liberty of introducing him herself. "This is Shadow the Hedgehog. He helped us while we were out shopping." She smiled up at him, while he looked away uneasily.

The cat gave an amused smirk and extended her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Shadow. My name's Cali. Welcome to my café." The black hedgehog regarded her from the corner of his eye for a moment, finally extending his own hand to shake hers. "Well," Cali began, placing her hands on her hips, "no use standing around. Let's get you guys a seat!"

She cheerfully led them to a nearby booth set against the front window. Shadow slid into one side of the booth, as did—much to his discomfort—Cream and her Chao. Vanilla took the opposite seat.

"So, what'll it be today?" Cali asked as she took a pad and pen from her apron.

Vanilla placed her order first. "I'll have a CaliCocoa, please."

"One for me too, please!" Cream added. "And Cheese."

"With extra marshmallows?" Cali questioned, winking at the two. They nodded happily. "Okay, so the usual for you three…" She looked at Shadow. "And how about you? Shall I read off what we have?"

Shadow gave a slight shake of his head. "I'll just have what they're having."

"Okay." An amused gleam formed in her eyes. "Would you like extra marshmallows, too?"

Shadow glared at her again. She was beginning to remind him a little too much of a certain blue hedgehog… "No. Thank you."

"Okay then," she replied, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Four CaliCocoas coming right up!" She strode off to prepare the drinks, her bow-tied tail twitching back and forth as she went. Shadow continued to glare after her for a moment but soon turned his attention to the window. He was staring disinterestedly at the people walking by when Vanilla began to strike up a conversation.

"So tell me, what exactly happened with Cheese earlier today?"

Cream piped up. "Well first, this boy—Chris-san—grabbed Cheese while I was looking in a store window." Both the rabbit and the Chao got fearful expressions on their faces to emphasize the dramatic events. "So then I flew after him…" She smiled embarrassedly. "…and flew into Shadow-san."

"Oh!" Vanilla gasped, looking to Shadow. "I do hope she didn't hurt you at all…"

The hedgehog smirked slightly, shaking his head. "I've taken worse hits."

Vanilla gave a relieved smile then turned a slightly stern look on her daughter. "_You_ need to be more careful when you fly before you hurt someone!"

"I'm sorry, Mama. I'll be more careful next time…" she promised, a little ashamed. "Anyway, Shadow-san said he'd help me get Cheese back, so he chased Chris-san." Her eyes lit with awe and excitement. "And he was so fast, Mama! Maybe even as fast as Sonic-san!"

Shadow smirked and responded automatically. "Faster."

Vanilla laughed. "A bold statement! I take it you've met him?"

The hedgehog nodded. "Yes." _Unfortunately…_

Cream stared at the dark hedgehog in amazement. "Oh, so you're a friend of Sonic-san, too?"

Shadow's eye twitched at the question. 'Friend' and 'Sonic' were not meshing together very well in his mind at the moment. He forced a smile. "Something like that."

"Wow, what a coincidence!" Cream exclaimed with a smile. "Chao!" Cheese agreed.

"Uh, anyway…continue your story…" Shadow replied, attempting to change the subject.

"Oh, right! Well, we both caught up to Chris-san and I got Cheese back. Then we found out that Chris-san just wanted to get a present for his little sister. So I suggested that he make something for her, and he seemed to like that idea. He left, and then we came looking for you, Mama."

"I see," her mother replied. "Well, it seems you've had quite a day already!" She turned to Shadow. "I hope she hasn't caused you too much trouble…"

Shadow shook his head, surprising himself when he realized that he hadn't minded helping the little girl at all. The incident _had _distracted him from less pleasant thoughts…

Cali returned with a tray full of drinks just then. "Here you go!" She handed each out—a plain cocoa for Vanilla, cocoa with marshmallows for Cream, a smaller version of the same for Cheese, and a plain cocoa accompanied by a little packet of marshmallows for Shadow. The cat grinned. "Marshmallows on the side, just in case."

He gave her a sour smile. "Thanks."

"No problem," she winked, still grinning mischievously. "Enjoy, everyone!" She strode back to the front counter, leaving them to their drinks.

Cream and Cheese eagerly drank from their marshmallow-laden cocoas. "Mmm, Cali-san's cocoa is the best!"

Vanilla nodded after sipping from her own cup. "I have to agree."

Shadow drank a little from his, eyebrows raising a little as he tasted it. "You're right, this _is_ good…"

Cream smiled up at him. "It's even better with marshmallows. Try it!"

The dark hedgehog looked down at the packet of marshmallows uncertainly. Then he shot a glance at the counter just as Cali turned around, pretending she wasn't watching them. Sighing in defeat, he opened the packet and emptied its contents into his cup. Taking a sip from his altered drink, he was certain he heard Cali giggling from behind the counter.

"Good, isn't it?" Cream questioned.

Shadow responded with a slight nod, still eyeing the counter.

The little rabbit beamed back, taking another gulp of her cocoa. The group continued to drink in silence for a few minutes, absorbed in the tasty hot chocolate. It wasn't long before Cream set down her emptied mug and began dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "That was yummy, wasn't it, Cheese?"

"Chao…" he replied, looking sadly down at his own empty cup.

Cream giggled at her Chao's expression and began wiping his mouth with her napkin as well. "Don't worry, maybe we can come back tomorrow."

The little blue creature immediately cheered up. "Chao chao!"

"Oh, that reminds me," Cream began. "Mama, I still need to get your present! Can I do that tomorrow?"

Vanilla smiled back. "Of course, we can go shopping again tomorrow."

Cream furrowed her brow in dismay. "But, Mama, you can't be there when I get your present… I want it to be a surprise!"

"Hm, well I can't let you go by yourself…" her mother replied thoughtfully. "Maybe Cali could go with you."

The cat's sensitive ears twitched in their direction at the sound of her name. "Need something?" she asked, walking over.

"Well," Vanilla began, "Cream wants to go shopping for a gift for me tomorrow, but she doesn't want me along so that it will be a surprise. Would you be able to go with her?"

"Aw, I'd love to," Cali replied with an apologetic frown, "but I have to work. Sorry, Cream." The little rabbit's face fell, hitting Cali with a pang of sympathy. _Wish there was something I could do to—_Her expression changed as an idea popped into her head. She looked at Shadow, a grin forming on her face. –_help_.

Shadow noticed the sudden change in her expression and immediately got a sinking feeling in his stomach. _No…_he thought bleakly, eyes widening.

The cat grinned back at him and turned to Cream. "Hey, maybe Shadow could go with you."

The hedgehog's jaw dropped slightly as he stared at her in disbelief. This cat was bent on his psychological destruction, he was sure of it. To make matters worse, Cream turned to him with eyes full of a new hope. _Oh no…_

"Oh, but you've already done so much for us, Shadow," her mother protested. "We couldn't ask you to do any more." Cream looked from her mother back to the hedgehog, a despairing look on her face. Her head dropped sadly.

Shadow grimaced at the display, guilt washing over him. He was well aware that Cali was still smiling slyly, but the rabbit's unspoken plea made even his stone-cold pride crumble. _I'm going to regret this… _"It's alright… I'm not busy tomorrow."

Cream looked up at him, wide-eyed. Vanilla gave him a concerned look. "Are you sure? I don't want to trouble you."

She was giving him every opportunity to refuse—it seemed like it would be so easy to just politely decline. But saying 'no' to Cream's face… Shadow thought that he'd rather be facing the Biolizard. "I… don't mind..."

The young rabbit grinned widely and embraced Shadow in a tight hug. "Oh thank you, Shadow-san!" His face reddened slightly at the show of affection.

Vanilla smiled gratefully. "You truly are kind, Shadow."

_Something else to blame Sonic for…_ he thought, smiling grimly.

Cream released him, still beaming. "Yay! I'm so happy! We'll have lots of fun, won't we, Cheese?"

"Chaaao!" he cheered happily. Cream giggled and smiled up at Shadow. He reluctantly smiled back, surprised again that he felt a little pleased with himself.

"Well, that problem's settled," Cali spoke up. "Shall I take your dishes?" They each handed their emptied cups to her, and she winked teasingly at Shadow as she took his. He smiled darkly back at her. Sonic had just dropped to number two on his 'hit list'…

As Cali left for the kitchen, the small group slid out of the booth. She soon returned, meeting them at the front counter. Vanilla paid her for the drinks and thanked her kindly.

"Nah." She waved a hand nonchalantly. "Thank _you_ for your business… and your pleasant company." She smirked at Shadow, who frowned back.

"Bye, Cali-san!" Cream waved cheerfully as they turned to leave.

"Seeya later, guys! Have a nice day!" The feline waved back as they left.

Once outside, the group immediately felt the cold seep through their fur. Shadow fought off a shiver and turned to Vanilla. "Thank you for the drink… it was nice," he said, genuinely grateful for the warmth of the liquid in his stomach.

She smiled, shaking her head. "It was the least I could do. You've been so kind. Thank you so much for all your help."

He shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Ne, Shadow-san," Cream spoke up with a bright smile. "When should we meet tomorrow?"

Shadow sweatdropped, the reality of his agreement sinking in. "I… don't know. Whenever you'd like, I suppose."

The girl looked up at her mother. "What do you think, Mama?"

"Hm… How about we meet here at noon? Would that be all right?" she asked Shadow. He gave a small nod.

"Yay!" Cream cheered again. "I can't wait!"

"Well, Cream," her mother began, "I think we should be going. We have more shopping to do, and I'm sure Shadow has other things to do as well." She bowed again to the hedgehog. "Thank you again."

Cream and Cheese followed suit. "Thank you!" They turned to leave, waving farewell as they went. The little rabbit beamed back at him. "Bye! See you tomorrow, Shadow-san!"

A small smile tugged at the hedgehog's mouth as he waved back. After they turned a corner, he sighed. _What's wrong with me? Why am I doing this?_ He turned and walked in the opposite direction, thinking about all that had happened. He wondered why he had agreed to help that little girl, why he was so helpless to her. _Am I really that weak? So weak that I can't even refuse a child?_ He couldn't understand it. He was the Ultimate Lifeform. He should have been stronger than that. But in the presence of that child, the 'Ultimate Lifeform' in him seemed to fly out the window, leaving him open and vulnerable.

Picking up the pace, he began to run to nowhere in particular. _What have I gotten myself into?_


	3. Shopping and Shambles

Author's Notes

Finally, new content. The previous two chapters had been uploaded before, but, as I said, got deleted for no apparent reason. This chap's entirely new though! And long! o.o

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Chapter 3: Shopping and Shambles

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"Sonic," the young fox began after glancing at the clock again. "Its 10:00 already and Shadow still isn't back…"

Sonic, who was sitting in Tails' living room watching TV, feigned indifference. "Well, Tails, look at it this way: the longer he's gone, the longer we have to live."

Tails sweatdropped and laughed nervously. "I guess you're right." His ears drooped slightly as he looked at the floor. "Maybe we shouldn't have teased him like that..."

Sonic continued to flip through channels, not really paying attention to what was on. "Yeah, maybe…" he replied quietly. Though he'd never admit it, he too was beginning to feel a bit concerned.

The sound of the front door opening startled the two, and their eyes immediately flew to the dark figure entering the fox's home. Tails was frozen where he stood next to the sofa, Sonic likewise paralyzed in the middle of his channel-surfing. They stared, wide-eyed and nervous, as the black hedgehog strode past the living room. But he was oblivious to them, lost in his own thoughts as he entered Tails' guest bedroom and quietly shut the door behind him.

As he disappeared from sight, the hedgehog and fox remembered to breathe. Sonic blinked, still staring at the closed door. "Hey, Tails… is it just me, or are we still alive?"

Shadow stood at the only window in his temporary room, still lost in thought. He'd spent rest of the day running aimlessly, occasionally stopping to stare at the sky and think, as he was doing now. The clouds that had brought snow earlier that morning had cleared away by nightfall, allowing him to see the starry night sky. He wondered which—if any—of those stars was actually ARK reflecting light back toward Earth. Not that it really mattered. Gazing up at the vast expanse of space was enough to bring back a flood of memories. Some were pleasant, others were not.

It was the clash of these memories that drove him to resent the holiday season, made him vow to hate it—but then there was that child. The child that threatened to shatter his oath, bring down his walls of bitterness.

The child that he would be _babysitting_.

He sighed.

Tomorrow would be a long day…

At about 11:00 the next morning, Sonic carefully tiptoed down the hall, peeking cautiously around the corner before emerging into the living room. Tails looked over at him from the kitchen and laughed slightly. "It's alright, Sonic. Shadow already left."

The blue hedgehog sighed in relief. "Did he say where he was going?"

"Nope," the fox replied as he returned his attention to the toaster in front of him. "He came in, grabbed an apple out of the fridge, stared at it for a little while, and left without a word."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Weird… I keep thinking he's spending all this time plotting ways to kill us," he joked. Tails shot him an alarmed look. The blue hedgehog coughed and decided to change the subject. "So… whatcha workin' on there?" He strode into the kitchen and peered at the counter in front of Tails. He had taken apart the toaster and was prodding it with a pair of pliers he held in his hand. The green Chaos Emerald sat on the counter next to it.

"I'm trying to figure out a way to rewire this toaster to power it with the Emerald." He smiled proudly. "Then I can make toast in half the time!"

Sonic sweatdropped. "Tails, it's a _toaster_. I don't think it needs Emerald power."

Tails furrowed his brow in thought. "Hm, maybe you're right… maybe I'll rewire the oven instead!" And he proceeded to attack the oven with a screwdriver, leaving the toaster parts sprawled on the counter.

Sonic slapped his forehead in exasperation.

After an extended morning run, Shadow arrived at the front of the Calico Café. He checked his watch. _11:40. Early, as usual_, he thought somewhat smugly. Careful to avoid being spotted by the cat inside, he leaned up against the wall to wait. He stared at the ground with arms folded, sighing as the reality of his doom hit him. He mentally cursed Sonic again. _If it weren't for his 'sense of humor,' I wouldn't be in this mess…_

Shadow continued to brood over the recent past and near future in this way for several minutes.

"You don't have to wait out here in the cold, you know."

Startled, the hedgehog stood upright and swung his head toward the café entrance. Standing there with an amused smirk on her face was the café's feline owner. Shadow scowled under his breath and returned to his original position. "I'm fine. It doesn't bother me."

Cali placed her hands on her hips and gave him a skeptical look. "Well you're scaring my customers away, Mr. Sunshine!"

Shadow peered at her out of the corner of his eye, smirking. "Now isn't that a shame?"

Now it was Cali's turn to smile sourly at him. "Well, here comes the perfect way to get you off my doorstep right now," she replied tartly, looking past him. Shadow raised an eyebrow in confusion and turned to follow her gaze.

"Shadow-san!"

"Chao-chao!"

The dark hedgehog grimaced. Sure enough, the Rabbit family was making their way toward him. Cream waved cheerfully and quickened her pace as soon as she made eye contact with him.

Cali giggled. "Perfect timing, wouldn't you say?"

Shadow scowled again. "Are you sure you're not a black cat in disguise?" he muttered. The calico snickered in return.

"Good morning, Shadow-san!" Cream greeted, bowing in front of him.

"Good morning…" he replied hesitantly. The young rabbit beamed back at him.

Vanilla strode up after her daughter. "Hello, Shadow. I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Oh, don't worry." Cali stepped forward with a grin. "I've been keeping him company." Shadow glared back at her.

"Cali, good to see you again."

"Good morning, Cali-san!"

Cali smiled cheerfully. "'Morning, girls."

"Chao!"

She laughed. "And you too, Cheese. You guys are gonna have _lots_ of fun today, aren't ya?" Cream and Cheese emphatically agreed, while Shadow remained silent.

"Thank you again, Shadow, for helping us out," Vanilla said. "I feel a bit guilty asking you to do this when we've only just met…"

"Oh, he doesn't mind, do ya, Shadow?" Cali replied for him, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "You're the noble hero type, I can tell. Always willing to help someone in need."

Cream stared up at him in adoration. "Shadow-san's as nice as Sonic-san!"

Shadow inwardly cringed. "Well… shall we be going?" He was eager to get away from that annoying cat before she could do any more damage.

"Cream, do you know how long it will take you to do your shopping?" her mother questioned.

The young rabbit thought for a moment. "I'm not sure, Mama…"

"Well, shall we meet back here in a couple of hours, then?"

Shadow was none too fond of that idea. "I can… bring her home when we're done." _Anything to stay away from that cat…_

"Oh, that would be wonderful! Do you remember the way home, Cream?" Her daughter nodded confidently. "Good. Well I guess I'll see you later, then." She bent down and kissed Cream on the cheek. "Be good, now."

"I will, Mama! Bye!" She grabbed Shadow's hand, smiling happily. Shadow managed a small wave before he was led away by the small rabbit.

"Goodbye!" Vanilla called, waving.

"Have _fun_!" Cali added in sing-song.

The older rabbit shook her head with an amused smile. "You shouldn't tease him so much, you know."

The cat grinned. "Oh, but where's the fun in that?"

"So… where shall we go first?"

"Um, I don't know…"  
"Well… what type of gift do you want to get?"

"I don't know that either…"

Shadow sweatdropped. Here he was, being led through town by a child who had no clue where she was going or what she wanted. _Great._ He took a deep breath, telling himself to remain calm. He stopped walking and looked around at some of the surrounding shops. _Restaurants… crafts… candy… jewelry._ "Hm…" Immediately he thought of Rouge. She was a woman, and she liked jewels… it could work. "Why don't we try there?" he asked, pointing across the street.

Cream looked at the shop and nodded. "Okay."

They stepped into the fancy store, greeted by hundreds of sparkling gems. "Wow," Cream breathed in awe. "They're so pretty…"

"Hm." Shadow looked around as well. _Rouge could drool at these all day… until she pocketed half of them, anyway._

"May I help you with anything today?"

Cream looked up to see a balding salesman in an expensive-looking suit. "Yes, sir. I'm looking for a gift for my mother."

The man bent over and smiled at the child. "Ah, how nice. I'm sure we can find something for her. If you'll step this way…" He led them to a counter near the back of the store and pulled a case out from behind it. Kneeling down in front of Cream, he opened it for her to see. "This is one of our finest diamond necklaces."

The young rabbit's eyes widened. "Wow… it's beautiful!" And indeed it was. The necklace was composed of many small diamonds arranged in intricate snowflake patterns. Even Shadow was impressed with its craftsmanship. "How much does it cost, sir?" Cream asked.

The salesman smiled as if it were nothing at all. "3,000 rings."

Shadow gaped. "You've got to be kidding!"

Cream blinked innocently up at the hedgehog. "That's a lot, isn't it?"

"Much more than either of us could pay…"

"Well," the salesman began as he stood, "feel free to look around. If you find anything else you like, just let me know."

Cream nodded and began to wander around the store, peering in the glass displays. Cheese took particular interest in a set of small, multicolored gems sitting atop one of the counters. Shadow looked around as well, noting with suspicion that none of the items had price tags.

"So, shopping for the missus, hm?"

Shadow's face reddened at the salesman's blunt question. "N-no! I'm not married…"

"Oh." The man's expression shifted from a knowing smile to a look of restrained disgust. "I see." He gazed sympathetically at Cream.

Shadow's face reddened even more in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "I'm _babysitting_ her," he growled through gritted teeth.

"Yes, of course…" the man said rather snootily. He looked away and was startled to see Cheese sitting on top of the counter. "Could you please restrain your Chao? It's attempting to eat some of my jewels…"

Shadow glared at him. "Yes, of course," he mimicked. He plodded huffily over to the Chao and picked him up off the counter. "Let's see what you're getting into…" He gently pulled the stone away from Cheese's mouth and examined it. He blinked and looked at the six other gems sitting in a velvet display case. He snorted quietly. _Miniature replicas of the Chaos Emeralds._ _How quaint._ "Now now, Cheese," he said in mock scolding. "We can't have you eating this _nice_ gentleman's merchandise, now can we?" Glaring briefly over his shoulder, he spoke in a lowered voice to Cheese. "Give it a few more licks."

"Chao!" he happily agreed, eagerly sucking on the gem some more.

Shadow smirked, placing the stone with the others. He patted Cheese's head. "Good boy." Walking over to Cream, he handed Cheese back to her and grabbed her hand. "Come on, Cream. There's nothing worth our time here."

Cream cocked her head to the side in slight confusion. "Okay…" she replied, allowing Shadow to lead her out of the store.

Once outside, Shadow immediately began to grumble about the store and its attendant. "Ignorant fool… ridiculously overpriced rocks… no wonder Rouge always steals them…"

"Rouge-san?" Cream asked, looking up at him. "Do you mean Rouge the Bat?"

"You know her?"

The rabbit nodded. "I see her around Knuckles-san sometimes." She giggled. "He doesn't seem to like it much, though."

Shadow snorted. "Well he's certainly not the social type."

She smiled up at him. "You must know them pretty well, Shadow-san."

He shrugged uneasily and looked away. "Let's figure out where we should go next." They walked down the street, scanning the buildings for anything that might be useful. After a few minutes, Shadow spotted a women's clothing store. Displayed in its front window were several beautiful white dresses. He remembered seeing Amy stare longingly through the window of a similar store. _Hm, it's worth a shot…_ He called Cream's attention to it. "Let's try that one."

The hedgehog almost had to shield his eyes as they entered the shop. Never before had he seen so much white outside of a hospital room. Bright white dresses, shoes, and accessories were everywhere. He half-wondered if Amy intended to subdue her blue hero by blinding him.

Cream was again awed by the store's contents. "Mama would look so beautiful in one of these," she breathed. She and Cheese trotted through the store, gingerly touching some of the dresses. They ooh-ed and aah-ed, while Shadow was left feeling uncomfortably visible among the frills and glitter. It didn't help that a group of bubbly teenage girls in one corner of the store kept staring at him. He tried to ignore their giggles and whispers but failed miserably. _This was a mistake,_ he groaned inwardly.

Before long they were approached by another human sales attendant. "Hello, what can I do for you?" she asked with a friendly smile.

"Hello," Cream greeted with a polite bow. "I'm looking for something for my mother."

"Oh, how nice," the lady replied. "Going to give her something for the big day?" Cream nodded innocently. "Well, does she have a dress yet?"

Cream placed a finger to her chin in thought. "Mama has lots of dresses, but not as nice as these."

"Alright then, let's take a look at some of them. Now, does she prefer conservative or a more contemporary style?"

"Um," Cream pondered, looking to Shadow for a prompt. Equally confused, he ran the words through his head in a vain attempt to figure out how they related to fashion. "Uh, let's go with conservative," he finally decided, hoping that perhaps this meant it would have a more conservative price.

"Okay, I think I have one you might be interested in." She led them toward the left wall, arriving at a spot that Shadow thought was dangerously close to the three teenyboppers. He hung back a little, trying to maintain as much distance between himself and the girls as discreetly possible. To him, it was still too close for comfort. The woman pointed out the target dress and began to enumerate all its magnificent qualities. Cream was enchanted by it, though Shadow found the conspiratorial whisperings of the girls terribly distracting, not to mention disconcerting. _What on Earth possessed me to follow Amy's tastes?_ Desperation was the only answer he could think of.

"Oh, Mama loves flowers!" Cream exclaimed, momentarily drawing Shadow's attention back to the dress. Cream was admiring the rose-patterned lace adorning the skirt.

"So you think she'd like this one?" the woman asked.

"I think so. Don't you, Cheese?"

"Chao!"

"Good! Now, what size is she?"

Cream blinked, exchanging a confused glance with her Chao before turning to Shadow once again. This time the hedgehog merely shrugged—this was well beyond his realm of expertise. So the little rabbit had to do her best with what little she knew. "Well, she's bigger than Shadow, but not as big as you…" The saleswoman smiled patiently, if a bit forced. Shadow figured she must have felt just as exasperated as he.

A tap on the shoulder made him jump slightly. "Excuse me," came a feminine voice behind him. He whirled and, to his horror, found that the voice belonged to one of the three giggly girls, her accomplices standing not far behind her. He silently cursed himself for letting his guard down. "Sorry." The black and white collie before him spoke. "I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Uh…" Shadow took a step back, eyeing the dress she held with deepest suspicion.

Urged on by her friends, the collie smiled with a blush and held the dress up to her body. "Do you think this would look good on me?"

The dark hedgehog felt as though his supersonic feet had just sped him headlong into a brick wall. "W—wha?" he stuttered. The resulting giggles from the other girls created a warm sensation that was becoming uncomfortably familiar to his usually stoic face.

One of the girls, a parrot with green and blue plumage, stepped beside the collie and grinned coyly. "Yeah, it'd make a perfect wedding dress for her, don't you think?"

The third girl, a smaller brown mouse, joined in the little game. "And it'd match a dark, handsome groom soooo well!" The three burst into a fit of girlish giggles.

Shadow, however, was oblivious to the meaningful looks they were casting him. _Wedding… dress?_ Realization dawned on him, and suddenly he saw the contents of the store in a new light. _Amy…_ He bit his tongue to keep from yelling a few choice words unfit for Cream's ears, his face feeling hotter than ever. He whirled back toward Cream and the saleswoman, finding that they were both still absorbed in the dress. He grabbed her hand once again. "This isn't what we're looking for," he informed her gruffly. "Let's go."

"Oh," Cream replied, voice tinged with a bit of disappointment. "Okay."

Ignoring the similar moans of disappointment from the teenagers, the hedgehog strode quickly toward the door, tugging the little rabbit behind him. He didn't slow down once they were outside, Cream having to trot lightly to keep up with him. _How could I have been so **stupid?**_ he chastised himself. _Of course Amy would have been fixated on a wedding store. Why didn't I see that sooner?_

"Shadow-san?"

"What?" he snapped, coming to a sudden standstill and turning his glare on the child. He felt a twinge of guilt as he saw her recoil slightly.

"I… was just wondering where we'd be going next," she replied meekly.

All his pent up annoyance and frustration finally boiled over. "How should I know?" he yelled, throwing his hands up. "It's _your_ mother we're shopping for. If _you_ don't know what she wants, then how the hell am _I _supposed to?!"

He saw the tears well up in her eyes as she clutched Cheese and realized he'd gone too far. "I—I'm sorry…" She bowed her head as tears slipped down her cheeks. "You've done so much to help me…" Her voice quickly became choked with sobs. "But I've only caused you trouble. I'm sorry!" She turned and took to the air, now crying freely as she flew away.

Shadow kicked himself for being so harsh. "Cream, wait!" he shouted, skating after her.

Nearby, a blue hedgehog had a near-miss with a flying rabbit as she rounded the corner in front of him. "Whoa!" he yelped as he flattened himself against the wall to avoid collision. The girl sailed past him, her sobs drifting on the wind to reach the hedgehog's ears. "Cream?" he breathed, watching her retreating form.

"Come back!" The hedgehog whirled in time to see a darker figure round the corner, skidding to halt just in front of him. The black hedgehog stared at his blue counterpart in slight surprise. "Sonic…"

His surprise was mirrored on the blue one's face. "Shadow? What're you doing here?" He followed Shadow's gaze over his shoulder to see Cream flying into a nearby park. Turning back to the black hedgehog, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What'd you do to her?"

Shadow regained his composure and returned the glare. "That's none of your concern," he replied, stalking past him to follow the rabbit.

Sonic's hand whipped out and grabbed Shadow's arm, his voice taking on a deadly serious tone. "If you hurt her, it sure as heck is my concern."

The black hedgehog snorted indignantly, though inwardly he felt he had deserved that one. "I didn't hit her, if that's what you think."

Sonic slowly released Shadow's arm, realizing that his dark look-a-like was many things but not outright abusive. "What're you doing with her, anyway?" Shadow looked away and muttered something under his breath. Sonic leaned in closer. "Come again?"

The dark hedgehog sighed resignedly and turned his gaze heavenward, as though praying for patience. "Christmas shopping."

Green eyes widened at the reply, accompanied by an amazed grin. "Christmas shopping? This from Mr. Scrooge himself? I don't remember hearing any ghosts wandering around Tails' apartment last night."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "It's a long story."

"One that'd be great for some fireside storytelling, I'm sure," Sonic added, his grin widening. "Anyway, need some help tracking down Cream?"

Shadow considered having to apologize to her in front of Sonic and decided he'd never live it down. _Bad enough as it is…_ "I don't need _your_ help, faker."

Now it was Sonic's turn to roll his eyes as Shadow walked on towards the park entrance. "Fine, fine. Just remember: if all else fails, chin up." Shadow glanced over his shoulder to see Sonic jerking a thumb upwards, grinning cheekily. He skated onward, nevertheless making a mental note of the advice.

"Cream! Cheese!" He scanned the area near the entrance for any sign of them. After a bit of searching, he detected the sound of quiet sobbing. Stopping and looking around again he still couldn't spot them. Puzzled, he thought back on Sonic's words. '_Chin up'…_ Tilting his head upwards, his eyes were met with countless barren branches. _Trees… of course._ _What better place for a flying rabbit to hide?_ It didn't take long for him to spot the little rabbit in red among the leafless trees, sitting atop a large limb. She watched him approach warily, rubbing at her teary eyes.

"Cream, come down," he called up to her, though his tone was neither harsh nor demanding.

She sniffed and hugged Cheese close to her. "You hate me."

A bigger pang of guilt. "No, I don't hate you." He paused to swallow his pride with a very conscious effort. "I was being a jerk. I'm sorry."

The rabbit girl rubbed her nose. "You're not mad at me?"

Shadow smiled reassuringly. "No, I'm not. It's just…" He stopped to think of how to explain his actions. "I'm not very experienced with this sort of thing, and I got frustrated. That's all." Seeing her slowly nod brought an immediate sense of relief. He extended an arm to her, smirking. "Now, why don't you come down? I hate leaving any task unfinished."

Face brightening, she jumped off the limb and flapped her ears to gently descend toward the hedgehog. However—much to his surprise—she didn't land in front of him but instead flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Shadow-san."

Initial shock wearing off, the black hedgehog gently returned the embrace. He smiled at the sense of warmth he'd nearly forgotten after 50 years. _No, thank you, Cream._

After a moment, the girl released him and slid to the ground. She had a concerned look on her face. "Where should we go now?"

The hedgehog thought about it, mentally blocking out the horrors of their failed attempts. _Well, Amy and Rouge weren't very helpful sources of inspiration, so who—_The answer struck him like a bolt of lightning and he nearly smacked himself for not thinking of it sooner. "Maria!"

"Hm?" Cream cocked her head sideways, obviously wondering what kind of a place 'Maria' was.

Catching himself before getting lost in another flood of memories, he explained. "She was… my family, I guess you'd say." A sad look crossed her face as she remembered what he had told her earlier. He smiled reassuringly before continuing. "We lived in a place where flowers were especially hard to come by. But every Christmas her grandfather made sure to give her a type of flower she'd never seen before in hopes that eventually she'd get to see them all." _If only she could have_… "Anyway," he continued, shaking off the sadness that threatened to overwhelm him. "You said your mother liked flowers, right?"

It was as if a spotlight had suddenly shone down on her face—she positively beamed. "Oh, Shadow-san! That'd be perfect!"

"Cha chao!" Cheese danced around midair, infected by Cream's excitement.

Shadow exhaled in relief. "Well, that's half the battle, then. All we need to do now is find a flower shop."

"I can do that much!" she cried happily. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him toward the park entrance. "Let's go!" Cheese further encouraged him by pushing from behind.

The hedgehog laughed, also infected by their renewed cheerfulness. "All right, all right. Lead the way."

Within ten minutes Cream's eager tugging led them to the doorstep of a small floral shop. As they stepped inside, they were greeted by a cozy warmth and sweet aroma of flowers and other plants. The shopkeeper—an aging tabby cat—approached them upon hearing the tinkling of the entry bell. "Why, Cream, back again so soon?"

"Yes, ma'am," the girl replied. "I decided to get some flowers for Mama, too."

The feline smiled. "What a lovely idea! I'm sure she'd like that very much." She looked at the black hedgehog, a sly twinkle in her eyes that was somehow familiar to him. "And who might this charming young man be? Not a new boyfriend, I hope."

Shadow sweatdropped, Cheese made a disgusted face, and Cream blushed furiously. "No, no! It's nothing like that!" the rabbit insisted, shaking her head fervently.

The older woman laughed "Oh, I'm only teasing, dear." She extended her hand to the hedgehog. "Tabitha Cat, not-so-humble owner of this little nook."

"Shadow the Hedgehog," he replied, shaking her hand. "_Temporary_ escort," he added with a smirk.

"Of course," the cat smiled back. "Pleasantries aside, what did you have in mind, Cream?"

The child smiled and looked at Shadow out of the corner of her eye. "Something we've never gotten before." Shadow returned the smile, no words needed to communicate their shared understanding.

"Well, I think I can manage that. This way."

She led them to a cluster of large, white flowers set apart from the rest in her shop. Each star-shaped blossom had five large petals surrounding three golden stamens. Their aroma was subtle, but still quite pleasant.

"These are called Luna Blossoms," Tabitha explained. "It's said that they glow when under the light of a full moon."

Cream gingerly touched one in wide-eyed awe. "They're beautiful!" Cheese hovered close to sniff one and let out his own cheerful exclamation.

"I'm glad you like them," the cat replied warmly. "I think your mother would, too."

"Oh definitely!" Cream beamed up at her. "Could you make a crown out of these for her?"

"Certainly." Tabitha bent down to her level. "Would you like to help me?

The child's eyes lit up even more. "I'd love to!" And so the older cat began cutting some of the flowers and handing them to Cream. When enough were collected, they traveled over to the counter to begin arranging them.

Shadow, however, remained behind. Turning so his back was facing the others, he also gently fingered one of the blossoms. Its milky white petals reminded him of the moon he and Maria had gazed at from the ARK's windows.

_The way it used to look, anyway_, he thought with a pang of guilt.

He could imagine just how beautiful these flowers must be in the light of the moon. He wondered briefly if they would glow even more brilliantly without the Earth's atmosphere to diminish the moon's reflected light. _Perhaps…_

"There! All finished!"

Shadow looked over his shoulder to see Tabitha, Cream, and Cheese admiring the completed crown before placing it into a red cardboard box. The elderly cat topped it off by wrapping the box up in a green ribbon.

"Now, make sure you keep this in the refrigerator until Christmas so that it will be nice and fresh when you give it to your mother," the cat instructed, handing Cream the box. "Is there anything else I can get for you while you're here?"

"No, ma'am," Cream replied. "This will be fine. Thank you very much!"

Tabitha smiled back at her. "You're very welcome." She turned her gaze to Shadow. "And how about you? Anything you need?"

The hedgehog started, and realized that he was still touching one of the flowers. He drew his hand back almost instinctively. "Ah…" He was about to refuse her offer, but gazing at the flower again changed his mind. "…Yes, actually. I'd like three of these."

The cat smiled knowingly as she walked over to him. "I thought you might." She clipped three of them with a pair of scissors and carried them back to the counter. "Would you like me to arrange them in any special way, or just box them as they are?"

He thought for a moment as he approached the counter. "Hm… could you tie them together with some of that ribbon?"

"Of course." She did so and carefully placed them into a rectangular box. She was about to tie a ribbon around the box as well when Shadow stopped her.

"No need for that," he explained. "I'll be presenting the flowers directly."

She nodded and handed him the box. "Very well. Anything else?"

"No, thank you," he assured her and began to pull out money to pay her. Cream did likewise, and each handed the cat the appropriate amount of rings for each gift.

"Thank _you_ for your business!" Tabitha replied after accepting their money. She walked them to the door, sidling up to Shadow as she did so. "You know, Shadow, I have a granddaughter about your age," she said coyly. "I think you two would get along nicely."

Shadow blanched and stared at her as alarm bells sounded in his head. His suspicions were confirmed by Cream's cheery response.

"Oh, he's already met Cali-san."

_That cat… is her… oh boy._

"Oh really?" Tabitha replied, a cheshire grin that was now all-too familiar forming on her face. "Well then, perhaps I'll be seeing more of you, hmm?"

Gulping down his mortification at the thought, Shadow sped up their departure. "Uh, well, thanks again for everything, but we really should be going…" He quickly ushered Cream out the door.

The old cat chuckled. "Oh alright. But do come again! And Merry Christmas!"

Cream turned and bowed once outside the shop. "Merry Christmas, Obaa-san, and thank you!" Cheese likewise bowed and offered his own farewell. Shadow bid a brisk farewell, as though expecting Tabitha to spring some trap at any moment.

As they moved off down the road, the old cat chuckled to herself. "Yes, he's definitely met my granddaughter."

Once they had safely rounded a corner, Shadow breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad that's over with…" he looked down at Cream in mild annoyance. "Why didn't you tell me she was Cali's grandmother?"

The rabbit looked up at him, he head tilted innocently. "You didn't ask, Shadow-san," she replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

He sighed again and shook his head, a small smile forming on his face. "No, I supposed I didn't." _Guess I'll have to be more alert in the future._

Cream looked at the box in Shadow's hands as they walked. "Is that for Maria-san?"

He hesitated as he looked at the box as well. "Yes… for my family."

The little girl smiled and grabbed his hand, tugging him along. "Good! Then we're halfway done!"

Shadow blinked. "Halfway? But we already got your mother's gift…"

She looked back at him with a look of exasperation. "We still need to finish _your_ Christmas shopping, silly!"

"Mine? But I told you--"

Suddenly she stopped and whirled to stand in front of him, folding her arms. "Shadow-san," her tone was almost patronizing now. "If you know Sonic-san, then you definitely have friends!"

That simple statement struck him to the core. Loathe as he was to admit it, the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was true. Despite his past crimes, Sonic had accepted him as an ally and even… a friend. This, in turn, had led to Sonic's other friends accepting him as well. Though they were certainly annoying at times, he could not deny that they cared for him and—he was surprised to realize—that he, too, actually cared for them at some level.

Cream grabbed his hand again and turned forward. "So we're going to go shopping for your friends now, okay?"

He sighed. "You're not going to take 'no' for an answer, are you?"

She grinned over her shoulder at him. "Nope!"

"Well, let's get this over with then," he said, smirking down at her.

She beamed up at him and began tugging him forward once again. "Alright! Let's go!"

Four hours and many stores later found hedgehog, rabbit, and chao tired and in need of nourishment. So it was, at Cream's insistence, they ended up back at their starting point.

"Well hello again," Cali greeted them as they entered. "Didn't expect to see you guys back here today."

"We got hungry after so much shopping," Cream explained, setting down her bags and plopping herself tiredly into the nearest booth.

Cali eyed the many bags all three carried. "Boy, your mom's gonna be happy this Christmas."

"Oh, these aren't all mine. They're mostly Shadow's."

Shadow flushed as Cali turned a wicked grin on him. "Oh really?" she replied in a tone that was almost identical to her grandmother's.

The dark hedgehog huffed as he set his bags down and sat across from Cream. "Can we get some service here or what?"

"Sure thing," she replied, still grinning. "What would you guys like?"

"A club sandwich and two CaliCocoas, please," Cream asked politely.

"I'll have the same," Shadow added.

"Okay, be back in a flash." The cat trotted back to the kitchen to prepare their orders.

Once she was out of sight, Shadow leaned back in his seat and sighed. "We're finished now, right?"

Cream pondered and began to count off names on her fingers. "Let's see, we got Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Rouge… yes, that should be everyone."

Shadow nodded, but mentally noted that there was one name missing from that list. "Good."

"Shadow-san," she began after a few moments of silence. "What sort of things did you do with your family every Christmas?"

He looked down at her. She seemed hesitantly curious, probably worried that she was hitting on a touchy subject. He leaned back again and gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling. Reminiscing briefly, he replied to her query. "Every year, Maria and I would decorate parts of our home." He smiled. "It always made everything seem so much brighter."

"I bet it was beautiful!" Cream declared, supporting her chin with her hands.

"Yes, it was." A moment later he added, "Maria also read Christmas stories to me every Christmas Eve before we went to sleep."

Cream's eyes lit up at that. "My Papa used to read me stories too! Mama still does, but… it's not quite the same, you know?"

Shadow nodded thoughtfully. "I guess we have some things in common."

"Yeah!" she agreed happily.

"Heads up," Cali warned as she approached with a tray of food. "Dinner is served!"

Cream and Cheese both cheered as she placed the food before them, prepared just the way they liked it. "Thank you, Cali-san!"

Shadow noted with distaste that his cocoa was accompanied by not one, but two packets of marshmallows this time. "Yeah. Thanks."

She grinned and winked at him. "No problem. Enjoy, guys!"

Cream split her sandwich with Cheese and both dug in hungrily. Shadow ate his sandwich at a more sedate pace, pondering what he should do about the last person on his Christmas list. So absorbed was he in his thoughts that by the time he finished his sandwich he found that Cream and Cheese had already finished theirs and were now soundly asleep.

"Aw, out like a light, aren't they?" Cali noted as she walked over and gazed affectionately at the two.

"Looks that way," Shadow replied. He began to fish out some rings. "Guess that means I'm paying."

"Nah," Cali countered, holding up a hand. "This one's on the house." At Shadow's puzzled expression, she continued. "Call it compensation."

"Hmph." The black hedgehog folded his arms and lifted his nose indignantly. "Hardly enough, I'd say." He peered at her from the corner of his eye. "But I suppose it'll do… for now."

Cali placed her hands on her hips and smirked back at him. "Don't push your luck, Grumpy."

He lowered his head to look at Cream's sleeping form. "Now comes the question of how I get her home—I don't know where she lives."

"I can help with that," the cat answered, pulling a notepad out of her apron. She began scribbling out directions, along with a rough map, which she then handed to Shadow. "Think you can find your way?"

Reading over the directions, he nodded. "I think I can manage." Now it was his turn to grin wickedly. "But if I get lost, I'll know who to blame."

She smirked back at him and jerked a thumb toward the door. "Just get out of here before I have you arrested for loitering!"

"Happily," he responded, sliding out of the booth. He picked up Cream, who was holding Cheese in her own arms, careful not to wake her. Stepping back from the booth, he eyed the bags sitting on the floor. "Hmm, I don't think I can carry all those _and_ her…"

"You can leave them here and pick them up later, if you want," Cali offered.

Shadow mulled that one over, not particularly wanting to come back here, but not really seeing any other choice. "Alright. If you could hand me that small bag with the square box—that's Cream's."

The cat complied, picking up the bag and slipping the handle over Shadow's outstretched hand. "You sure you don't want me to call a cab? I doubt you'll make it there before dark on foot."

Shadow merely smirked confidently. "You don't know me very well."

She rolled her eyes as she held the front door open for him. "Whatever you say, Mr. Sonic the Hedgehog."

He snorted as he walked past her. "Don't insult me!"

The cat turned to re-enter her café, shaking her head. "You are so full of--" She was cut off mid-sentence by a sudden gust of wind. Turning back toward the street, she looked around to find the hedgehog nowhere in sight. "—hot air…?"

A few minutes later, Shadow was awkwardly rapping at what he assumed was Cream's front door. It was located outside Central City, at the edge of Leaf Forest. The cottage-like home had a very rustic feel to it and seemed to blend well with the nearby woods. It wasn't huge, but its two floors seemed sizeable enough to house a small family comfortably.

A few moments later, Vanilla opened the door. "Oh, Shadow! Come in, come in." She quietly ushered him in, careful not to wake her daughter. "I was getting a little worried—I didn't expect her to take so long." She gently took Cream from his arms and gave him an apologetic look. "I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

Shadow shook his head. "No. Actually, I suppose I should apologize. The reason we took so long is because she wanted to help me with my shopping."

"Oh, that's quite alright," she assured him with a relieved smile. "I'm glad she could help you. Please, have a seat." She indicated the living room. "I'll just go put her to bed. I won't be but a minute."

He nodded and walked into the living room as Vanilla headed upstairs. In one corner sat a beautifully decorated tree, with already a few gifts under it. Against an adjacent wall a fire blazed in the fireplace, around which a sofa and chairs were arranged. Oddly, there were over half a dozen stockings hanging from the mantel. Atop the mantel were a few framed pictures. Shadow moved toward the fireplace to examine them more closely.

There were a few of Cream and Vanilla, a few more of Cream with Sonic and the others, but the central picture was one of Cream and both her parents, when she was just an infant. He father's fur color was darker than hers, as were his eyes. But even in the picture, Shadow could see the same warmth and love in the man's eyes as his daughter's. It was evident that he was proud of his family and loved them dearly.

"My late husband, Hazel."

Shadow's head whipped around to see Vanilla standing in the doorway. "Sorry," he apologized, returning the picture to the mantel.

She shook her head and strode over to join him by the fireplace. "He passed away about three years ago. We still miss him, but we carry on. It's all we can do."

The hedgehog nodded mutely, fully understanding her words.

Vanilla smiled down at him. "Would you like some tea or something to eat?"

"No, thank you. I should really be going…"

"I see. Well, thank you again for taking care of Cream for me today." She bowed her head slightly. "I really do appreciate it."

"You're welcome," he replied with a small smile. "I… enjoyed it."

"I'm glad you did." She smiled back at him. "You know, we're having a Christmas party tomorrow night at six for some of our friends. Would you like to come? I'm sure Cream would be delighted to have you here."

Shadow mused over this suggestion. No doubt Sonic and his friends would be coming to this party, so it was as good an opportunity as any to exchange gifts. "Okay. I'll be there."

Vanilla beamed. "Wonderful! We'll look forward to seeing you."

"Likewise." He smiled back at her and headed toward the door.

"Good night, Shadow, and travel safely," she said as she held the door for him.

He stepped out into the darkening night and waved farewell to her. "I will. Good night!" And then he was off like a bolt of lightning.

Vanilla closed the door and hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps he really _is_ faster than Sonic."

Author's Notes

One more chap to go. Hopefully will be uploaded soon!


	4. Surprises and Storytelling

Author's Notes

Heheh, another year, another update. I'm really bad at this "updating soon" thing. n.n; But hey, I wasn't counting on this thing being 40 pages long. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

As a warning, this chap contains excessive sappiness and even some spirituality, but hopefully it's the good warm-fuzzy kind! Otherwise, feel free to puke. It won't hurt my feelings. Really. -sniff-

* * *

Chapter 4: Surprises and Storytelling

* * *

By evening, Sonic returned to Tails' apartment to find the young fox putting the oven back together. The hedgehog shook his head at the sight. "You're still working on that thing?"

"Oh, hi, Sonic," Tails greeted, looking up briefly from his work. "I'm almost finished."

Clearing away toaster parts from the counter, Sonic lifted himself up to sit on it. "You wouldn't believe what I saw today."

"Eggman as a snow-bunny?" Tails suggested.

The hedgehog shuddered. "Thank you for that disturbing image, Tails!"

The fox snickered as he continued his work. "Anytime, Sonic."

Shaking his head again as if to clear it of said image, Sonic continued. "I ran into Shadow today. Almost literally."

Tails stared at him. "And you lived to tell the tale?"

"Yeah, surprisingly enough. And guess what he tells me. He's out Christmas shopping!"

"_Christmas shopping?_" the fox exclaimed incredulously. "Is this the same guy who was quite ready to murder us at the toy store?"

"Yup. But it gets better," Sonic continued in a conspiratorial tone. "Guess who he was with."

"Umm, Rouge?"

"Ha, not even close," Sonic laughed. "Try small, cute, and floppy-eared."

Tails' jaw nearly hit the floor. "Cream the Rabbit? And _Shadow?_"

"Yeah, that was about my reaction. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself."

Tails shook his head in amazement and returned to his work. "Next thing you know, Eggman will be playing Santa at the mall."

Sonic laughed. "Yeah, giving little kids nightmares."

A few moments later, Tails set down his tools. "There! I think that should do it!" Sonic hopped down from the counter and looked over the remodeled oven. It looked more or less the same, except for a Chaos Emerald-shaped slot in the front door with various cables extending out from it and into the machine. Tails walked over to the freezer and pulled out a large steak. "Now to test it out!"

Sonic eyed the fox warily as he slapped the steak on a pan and slid it into the oven. "You sure this is a good idea, Tails?"

"Don't worry, Sonic. Just think—if this works, we can whip up something for the party tomorrow night in no time at all!" The hedgehog nodded mutely, but nevertheless took a cautious step backwards when Tails loaded the green Emerald into its slot and turned the temperature dial up. He crouched eagerly before the oven window as the Emerald glowed increasingly brighter.

Shadow entered the apartment to the sound of a small explosion. He halted briefly to watch smoke drift out of the kitchen doorway, but he was hardly worried. Such minor disasters, he learned, were quite commonplace in Tails' home. With a sigh he walked toward the kitchen, multiple bags in hand, to see what experiment had gone wrong_this_ time.

What he found was mildly amusing. Fox, hedgehog, and much of the kitchen were a burnt black. The green Chaos Emerald, however, sat complacently amid the destruction, its perfectly unsullied visage a mocking contrast to the surrounding mess. Tails had obviously taken the brunt of the disaster, being closest to what was left of the oven, though Sonic was not left untouched. Most amusing was what appeared to be a charred steak sitting atop the hedgehog's head.

Shadow's eyes drifted from blackened face to blackened face, a wicked grin slowly forming on his own. "Well done."

Sonic's stunned expression turned sour. "Ha, ha, ha," he called as Shadow made a smug retreat from the kitchen. His glare shifted to Tails.

The fox sweatdropped nervously. "Uh, well… looks like Shadow really did go shopping today, huh?" was his lame attempt to change the unspoken subject. The hedgehog responded by wordlessly removing the steak from his own head and flopping it down on Tails'.

* * *

Shadow spent most of Christmas Eve day wandering the shopping district, partly to avoid the cleanup going on in Tails' home, but mostly to brainstorm ideas for the one last gift he needed. Despite much pondering and window shopping, however, nothing he saw struck him as a suitable present. So it was that he returned to Tails' apartment empty handed and just in time to get ready for the Rabbit family's party. Gathering his wrapped gifts into a couple of bags, he reluctantly settled on offering some service in place of a tangible present. Though what service, he still didn't know. By 5:30, Shadow was out of his room and heading for the front door. Sonic and Tails, who had only just gotten the kitchen relatively clean, took notice of this as they made their own last minute preparations in the living room.

"So," Sonic began, eyeing Shadow's bags with interest. "Where are you off to?"

Shadow halted at the door, recalling that he hadn't told either of them about his plans. A smile crept across his face. _Well, let's have a little fun with it._ Carefully masking his amusement, he looked back over his shoulder. "I'm just going to a party."

The look on their faces was nearly enough to break even Shadow's restraint. Jaws nearly to the floor as they gaped at him in disbelief, the black hedgehog struggled with keeping a straight face. Turning away again, he allowed himself a small smile. "See you guys later." And with that, he opened the door and left, leaving behind a dumbstruck hedgehog and fox.

The closing of the door snapped Sonic out of his stupor. Bursting into action, he quickly threw the rest of their gifts into bags. "C'mon!" he ushered Tails, handing him a couple of bags and rushing for the door with his own.

"Sonic…?" Tails questioned, lagging behind the blue hedgehog.

"We're gonna follow him and see where he's going," Sonic explained as he peered out the door.

"But we'll be late for Cream's party!" the fox protested.

Sonic impatiently pulled Tails out the door and locked it behind them. "Don't worry, Tails. We have plenty of time." The fox wasn't entirely convinced, but the choice was taken out of his hands as Sonic grabbed him and ran down the winding stairs to the bottom floor. They reached the front of the apartment building just in time to see Shadow disappear around a corner to their left. Sonic dashed to the corner and cautiously peeked around it, while Tails huffily pulled out of his grip. He could see the black hedgehog walking down the street at a leisurely pace. "Hm… suspicious."

Tails stared at him. "What are you talking about? Why are we following Shadow?"

"Shh! He'll hear us!" he hissed back. "If we follow him, maybe we'll find out why he's been acting so weird. 'Sides," he added with a grin, "Shadow at a party is something I just _have_ to see." The young fox shook his head as Sonic peered around the corner once more. "C'mon, let's go!" And they were off again.

They continued this little game of follow-the-leader, keeping just close enough to keep Shadow in sight and hiding behind buildings or other objects when it looked like they might be spotted. Tails found the whole thing ridiculous, but Sonic seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Shadow was apparently in no particular hurry to get to his destination, winding in and out of streets and side-streets. Tails could have sworn that he had led them in circles a few times, but Sonic was oblivious, focused as he was on their "game".

Shadow maintained the same relaxed pace until they reached the edge of the city, at which point he abruptly broke into an all-out run. In the blink of an eye, Sonic grabbed Tails by the arm and raced after the dark hedgehog. They ran down a winding rural road, snow-covered hills passing by in a blur.

Tails squinted against the wind as they turned down a familiar side-road that led into a thick forest. He tried to say something, but all the hedgehog could make out was "Sonic… this…?" over the roar of the wind. Not that it would have mattered—he was having too much fun with this high-speed chase to really pay attention to anything else.

There was no sign of Shadow as they followed the road into the forest, and Sonic feared they may have lost him. But soon they emerged into a clearing, forcing Sonic to abruptly slam on the brakes. It was only his quick reflexes and the added help of Tails' "air brakes" that prevented them colliding with the black hedgehog now stood there.

Shadow turned to them with something remarkably similar to amusement on his face. "You know," he began in a sardonic tone, "if you wanted to go together, all you had to do was ask."

Sonic blinked uncomprehendingly, but Tails was a little quicker on the uptake. "Sonic, look!"

The hedgehog shifted his gaze to the familiar house Tails was pointing at. "Wha… Cream's house?" Another look around confirmed it—the surrounding woods was none other than Leaf Forest. His head snapped back to Shadow. "_Vanilla's_ party? _That's_ the party you were going to?"

Shadow folded his arms, bags still hanging from his hands. "You sound surprised."

Sonic and Tails exchanged incredulous looks. "Well… yeah," the blue hedgehog replied. He looked as though he would have said more, were it not for the sudden opening of the front door.

"Shadow-san!" Cream exclaimed and dashed out the door, closely followed by Cheese. The duo practically tackled the dark hedgehog, embracing him enthusiastically. "I'm so glad you came!"

Feeling that uncomfortable warmth creep into his face again, Shadow looked up at his would-be stalkers. The blush was quickly replaced by a wicked smirk at the sight of their slack-jawed faces. _What I wouldn't give for a camera…_

Cream finally released Shadow and turned to the others. "Sonic-san, Tails-san, I'm glad you're here, too!"

The blue hedgehog regained his cool composure with a visible effort. "Uh… yeah! Likewise," he replied with a smile.

"Now, Cream," her mother admonished from the doorway. "Let's not leave our guests out in the cold."

Cream flushed in embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She smiled apologetically and took Shadow by the hand. "Follow me." Sonic shot the dark hedgehog an inquiring look, as she led them to the house. Shadow merely shrugged nonchalantly in response.

Vanilla welcomed them into her home and invited them to make themselves comfortable in the living room. Tails sheepishly handed the elder rabbit a loaf of store-bought French bread, _very_ briefly explaining the undesirable outcome of his cooking attempt. She merely dismissed his apology and thanked him instead, then retreated with her daughter into the kitchen to continue with dinner preparations. The remaining trio proceeded into the living room to unload their gifts under the tree. Sonic and Tails stole glances at Shadow's packages every few seconds, exchanging surprised looks upon seeing the familiar names on each.

"Hey, guys," a feminine voice called from behind them. They turned to see Amy standing in the living room doorway. The somewhat soiled apron she wore suggested that she, too, had been helping out in the kitchen.

Sonic tensed visibly, instinctively scanning the area for mistletoe. "H—hi, Amy…"

She giggled girlishly at his apprehension then did a double-take at the sight of the dark figure in the corner. "Shadow! I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Yeah," Sonic agreed as he set out the last of his presents. He stood and eyed his dark doppelganger in mock suspicion. "We were just gonna ask him about that."

All eyes turned to the black hedgehog, awaiting an explanation. He 'humph'ed indignantly and met Sonic's stare. "I was invited, same as you," he retorted.

The blue hedgehog shook his head in disbelief, a smile slowly creeping across his face. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your little shopping spree yesterday, would it?"

"Shadow?" Amy laughed. "_Shopping?_"

"Believe it, Amy," Tails said, pointing under the Christmas tree. "And there's presents to prove it."

Her eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Really? Now this I've gotta hear."

"Yes, Shadow," Sonic added impishly. "Do tell."

Shadow wasn't quite ready to spill the beans, but he could think no way to stall them further. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to. With timing he could only describe as perfect, the doorbell rang. He pounced on the opportunity.

"I'll get that!"

Ignoring the protests of his audience, Shadow was out of the living room and at the front door in a heartbeat. Sighing briefly, he casually opened the door. A smirk tugged at his lips. Standing on the doorstep were Rouge and Knuckles, looking for all the world as though they had seen a ghost.

"Sh… Shadow…" Rouge stuttered. "What a… surprise."

Knuckles was not nearly as tact. "What the heck are you doing here?"

Rouge frowned and—balancing a casserole dish in one hand—drove her free fist into the top of his head, eliciting a pained yelp from the hapless echidna. "Show some manners!" She smiled up at Shadow with false innocence. "What he means is that we're happy to see you here."

"Speak for yourself!" Knuckles grumbled, rubbing his bruised head. The bat raised a threatening fist, and he reluctantly subsided.

Shadow stepped aside to allow them entry, graciously ignoring the pointed glare Knuckles aimed at him as he passed. The echidna continued on to the living room to deposit the presents and greet his friends, while Rouge went around the kitchen to deliver her dinner contribution. Shadow remained in the entryway, as much to avoid returning to the living room as to wait for his former partner to return. Judging by the boisterous exchanges he heard, Knuckles' arrival had provided a sufficient distraction from his own absence.

Rouge returned shortly, halting in the removal of her coat as she spotted Shadow waiting for her. To add to her astonishment, he politely relieved her of the coat and hung it on a nearby peg. She leveled him with a skeptical look. "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Shadow?"

He feigned innocence. "What? Can't a guy do something nice for his _dear_ friend?"

She snorted derisively. "Save the sap. It doesn't suit you." She folded her arms and eyed him questioningly. "And frankly, neither do these warm, fuzzy gatherings."

The dark hedgehog mirrored her own pose. "I could say the same thing about you."

"Touche," she replied with a smirk, though she was inwardly chilled at the memory of the last time he spoke those words to her. "Still," she continued coolly, "I get the feeling that there's a story behind this."

"Hm, yes," he grunted and gazed in the direction of the living room. "And I suppose now I'm going to have to tell it."

She grinned, fangs gleaming with mischief. "This is going to be good, isn't it?"

"_That_ is a matter of opinion," he responded with a grimace.

As they entered the room, Rouge exchanged greetings with the group and sat down on a love seat next to Knuckles, roughly shoving him aside in the process. He scowled but dared not reciprocate. No sooner were they settled than Shadow once again found himself to be the center of attention.

"Okay, Shadow. We're all ears." Sonic plopped himself on the sofa, grinning cheekily. "So spill." Tails and Amy followed suit, the former mercifully placing himself between Sonic and the latter. Shadow sighed in resignation, taking a seat in the remaining recliner by the door.

And so he launched into his tale—beginning at the toy store and continuing to his encounter with Cream and the Chao-napper and their stop at the Calico Café. He was careful, however, to leave out some of the more "sensitive" details—namely those that would be most damaging to his own ego.

"…and things were going just fine until this annoying cat got involved," he was saying, only to be interrupted by a new arrival.

"Annoying? Shadow, you _wound_ me!"

Snapping his head around, he saw said cat standing just behind him in the doorway, a hand over her heart and an expression of mock-hurt on her face. He leapt out of the seat and whirled, pointing an accusing finger. "_You!_"

"Aw, thanks Shadsy!" she said, plopping herself in the now-vacant seat. "Apology accepted."

Shadow gaped for a moment, looking not unlike a large fish, while the others merely watched the exchange in amusement. A stifled snicker from Sonic that sounded suspiciously like "Shadsy" seemed to snap him out of his momentary stupor. Lowering his arm, he slipped back into his trademark scowl and huffed. "Don't you know how to knock?"

The cat waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, we come here all the time. Babysitting and such. They don't mind."

His scowl faltered. "_We?_"

An older cat appeared in the doorway, carrying a large, covered pan. "It's nice to see you again, Shadow," she greeted with a grin.

_They're tag-teaming,_ he thought bleakly. _How underhanded can you get?_

"Now, Shadow," Cali spoke in a reproving tone, "aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"

The dark hedgehog snorted and turned to the others. "Everyone, meet the bane of my existence."

Sonic let out an impressed whistle. "Someone who can get under Shadow's skin more than me?" He jumped out of his seat and strode over to her, grinning all the way. "I've gotta shake your hand!"

The cat grinned back. "Receiving honors from Sonic the Hedgehog? That's an accomplishment, even for me!" She shook his hand. "I'm Cali, and this is my Grams, Tabitha," she said, gesturing to the older tabby cat.

"A pleasure," he said to both of them. Stepping back he turned to his dark doppelganger. "And since I doubt you'll get much out of _him,_ these are my friends—Tails, Amy, Knuckles and Rouge," he added, gesturing to each of them in turn. Much to Shadow's chagrin, they all seemed highly receptive to the two newcomers. "Shadow here was just telling us about his 'exploits' yesterday," Sonic explained, reclaiming his seat.

Cali's eyes lit up. "Ooh, do continue!"

Her grandmother chuckled. "I think I'm too old for this teenage gossip. I'll just go take this to the kitchen and see if I can help Vanilla." And with that, she retreated from the group of youngsters.

Shadow huffed. "Not much more to tell. This…_feline_," he practically spat the word, "coerced me into taking Cream shopping."

Cali held up her hands defensively. "Hey, it's not _my_ fault you can't resist sad bunny-rabbit eyes."

This earned her a round of guffaws from the rest of the room, as well as a red-eyed glare that would have made Metal Sonic jealous. _Oh how I'd love to test that theory of cats having nine lives…_

"Looks like the ultimate life-form has a weakness after all," Knuckles commented smugly.

Shadow grinned malevolently back at him. "Yes, well at least mine doesn't keep me on a _leash_," he retorted, casting a meaningful glance at Rouge.

The bat laughed haughtily as the echidna flushed a deeper shade of red. "He's got you there, Knucklehead," she teased. The echidna's only response was an incoherent grumble.

Sonic snickered at his friend's embarrassment before returning his attention to Shadow. "So you took Cream shopping… and just happened to pick up some presents yourself along the way?" he queried in amused skepticism. At this, Rouge and Knuckles' eyes shot to the base of the tree, then back to Shadow with expressions of genuine surprise.

The hedgehog shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "Something like that," he responded after a pause. His brain whirred to come up with a suitable excuse to ward off their expectant stares. "She refused to call it quits until she had returned the favor to me." _Which isn't untrue_, he reasoned.

"That sure sounds like Cream," Amy said with a giggle.

"Yeah," Tails agreed. "She's not satisfied until she's done something nice for _everyone_."

"Wouldn't surprise me if she even sent Egghead a Christmas card," Sonic joked. Shadow pondered this suggestion… and concluded that it really wouldn't surprise _him_either.

"And after all that she invited you to the party, I assume," Rouge concluded.

"Her mother, actually," Shadow corrected. He silently prayed that he could get away with leaving out further details. Luckily for him, Vanilla entered at just that moment to announce that dinner was ready.

The group filed out of the living room, following her through the front room, around the stairwell and into the spacious dining room. The center of the room was filled with a rectangular table that seemed unusually large for such a small family. _But_, Shadow mused, _if they have gatherings like this often then I suppose it's necessary._ The table was adorned with a deep red tablecloth and red candlesticks placed in wreaths of holly. Ten places were set around the table, each with fine china, silverware, and crystal glasses. Most notable, however, was the ample supply of food. Almost the entire length of the table was covered in various side dishes, topped off with a large turkey near the opposite end. The myriad scents were intoxicating.

Cream, who had just finished setting out the silverware, trotted over to Shadow and took him by the hand once again. "Let's sit over here!" She led him toward the far end of the table as he tried to ignore the many amused stares that followed them. The others quickly filed into their own seats—Vanilla and Knuckles at either end; to Vanilla's right sat Cream, followed by Shadow, Sonic, and Tails; to her left were Tabitha, Cali (who grinned cheekily across from Shadow), Amy, and Rouge.

Once all were seated, Shadow couldn't help feeling a bit self-conscious. Clearly everyone had contributed to this feast… except him. As Vanilla led them in a prayer of thanks for friends, family, and all the blessings that came with them, the sensation that he was intruding on something special seemed to increase.

Ending the prayer, Vanilla stood again. "Please help yourselves to the side dishes, and if you'll hand me your plates one at I time, I'll carve and serve you some turkey."

Seeing an opportunity, Shadow suddenly rose to his feet, warranting more than a few startled stares. Sweatdropping slightly at the scrutiny, he nevertheless leveled the rabbit with an even stare. "Please, let me do that."

She smiled back at him. "That's kind of you, Shadow. But really, there's no need…"

Even as she spoke, the hedgehog noted the fatigue in both her voice and her countenance, reaffirming his resolve. He stepped around Cream's chair to stand next to her mother. "Everyone one here has contributed to this meal, and clearly you've put a lot of effort into putting this all together," he said, gesturing at the table. His voice took on an almost pleading tone. "Let me do my part. Please."

A reverent silence fell across the room. After a moment, Vanilla acquiesced with a nod. "Very well," she replied, re-taking her seat. The action was met with smiles and approving nods from all present.

Shadow smiled back at her, then turned to the others at the table. "I hope no one will object if I serve our most gracious hostess first?" he queried, picking up the carving knife.

Sonic raised his hands and backed away in mock apprehension. "Hey, you're the one with the knife."

He smirked back at his blue doppelganger amid a round of laughter. "Don't tempt me." A relaxed, cheerful atmosphere restored, Shadow began carving while the others helped themselves to side dishes. Once he had served the two rabbits, Sonic jumped in to run plates between Shadow and the recipients. It quickly escalated into a game, Sonic zipping around the table with his trademark speed and exchanging playful insults with Shadow while waiting for the next plate to be loaded. Eventually all were served and eating happily (and thoroughly entertained, courtesy the hedgehog duo). The meal progressed pleasantly, eating interspersed with compliments to the cooks and random conversations.

"Boy, one more bite and I just might explode!" Sonic commented once everyone had eaten their fill.

Shadow snorted derisively. "Coming from you, that's saying a lot."

"Yeah, well fortunately for you black is a slimming color," the blue hedgehog returned.

"Children," Amy began in mock reprimand, "how about you _both_ work off some of that fat by helping clear the table?"

The hedgehogs looked at each other. Sonic broke into a mischievous grin. "Bet I can get it done faster than you."

Shadow smirked back. "Only in your dreams, faker." And then they were off. The others wisely stood back as the two zipped from table to kitchen and back again. However, they both found themselves considerably slowed.

"What's wrong?" Shadow called mockingly, despite his own decreasing speed. "A bit sluggish, are we?"

"Just letting you have a bit more exercise—you need it more, after all!"

"Ha! Maybe that bulging belly of yours is slowing you down."

"We'll see about that!"

In under a minute, the table was completely cleared. But it was not without a price. Both hedgehogs returned to the dining room panting. Sonic was clutching his side and moaning miserably. Shadow likewise looked pained, though he was clearly trying to hide it.

"As effective as that was," Rouge commented wryly, "I would've thought you'd know better than to exercise after eating."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Knuckles responded with a grin. "Unfortunately, their egos are even bigger than their stomachs." The two hedgehogs responded with withering glares.

"Thank you both for your help," Vanilla said to them. "Now how about we move back to the living room to exchange gifts?"

Tails, Cream, and Cheese all gave a whoop of excitement and dashed toward the living room, every bit the 'kid-at-Christmas' stereotype. The rest followed, albeit without nearly as much energy and enthusiasm. Vanilla and her daughter took charge of distributing the gifts once everyone was again seated. Before long the room was filled with the sounds of tearing paper. Gifts were varied, from simple articles of clothing to decorative trinkets. Many gifts were received with exclamations of joy, among them the flower crown Cream proudly presented to her mother. On the other hand, some (such as the blindingly pink scarf Sonic received from Amy) were met with as little fanfare as courtesy permitted. Particularly popular was—as promised—an Eggman bobo-doll that Sonic and Tails had gotten for Knuckles. Unfortunately, it only survived one hit from the echidna's barbed fists.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," Knuckles said in between fits of laughter. Seeing the thing deflated pitifully on the floor somehow made it all the more amusing.

"We got another one, you know," Tails said with a grin.

"Yeah." Sonic grinned as well. "Sent it to someone I'm sure will appreciate it."

* * *

An array of sensors swept over the colorfully-wrapped package, scanning for any sign of a potential threat. Finding none, he proceeded to open it. Clawed hands tore at the wrapping and peeled back the cardboard within. As soon as it was opened, something large and hissing burst from the box.

The blue robot leapt backward, arming weapons and initiating all of his battle protocols. Red optics scanned the offender as it seemingly grew right in front of him. Once it had completed its transformation, the mech did a double-take. A quick search through a few databases revealed the purpose of this oddity bearing his Master's likeness.

His optics gleamed malevolently.

* * *

The evening progressed cheerfully, and when they ran out of presents they exchanged stories and jokes instead. Unfortunately for Shadow, many of them were at his expense, courtesy of his hedgehog and cat nemeses. One foe was neutralized easily enough, however, with the help of a potent weapon—a sprig of mistletoe dropped into the eager hands of a young pink hedgehog. Watching Sonic running around in sheer terror was highly satisfying.

Enjoying themselves as they were, eleven o'clock was upon them before they knew it. Upon discovering this, Tails started to become agitated.

"Sonic, we have to get home!" he cried, grabbing his friend's arm. "What if Santa skips us because we aren't there?"

The blue hedgehog rolled his eyes at the childish worry, but decided against pointing out the fallacies in his reasoning. "You're right," he acquiesced with a grin. "It's late, and we_definitely_ don't wanna miss the Big Guy."

Like a catalyst, Sonic's words seemed to encourage similar responses in the other guests. Soon they were all gathering their things and exchanging thanks and goodbyes with one another. Shadow hesitated in his preparations to leave, however, realizing that he still hadn't come up with that final gift—one for Cream. With a shock he realized that he'd actually been enjoying himself so much that he completely forgot. His sudden guilt was only slightly tempered by the fact that she had not given him a gift either._Perhaps I should have known better,_ he mused. _After all, I'm practically a stranger_…

"Hey Shadow, you coming?"

Startled out of his reverie, the black hedgehog looked up to see that only Sonic and Tails were left. They stood at the door, apparently waiting for him. He was about to respond in the affirmative when Cream grabbed his hand.

"Please wait!" she said, smiling brightly up at him. "I have something for you!"

Eyes widened slightly and mouth suddenly dry, Shadow looked back at Sonic. "S'okay," the blue hedgehog assured him with a wink. "We'll meet you at home." And with a final farewell, the hedgehog-fox duo took their leave.

"Wait here!" she told him as soon as they were gone. Then she and her Chao dashed upstairs, leaving behind a somewhat stricken ultimate lifeform. If he'd felt bad before, he was positively ashamed now.

"She wanted to give it to you sooner," Vanilla said as soon as her daughter was out of earshot. She smiled down at him. "But I thought you would appreciate it if she waited until after the party."

Shadow stared up at the older rabbit, both amazed and bit embarrassed at her acute perception. _Am I really that easy to read?_ But that thought was brushed aside as Cream returned, a book held in her arms.

"Here!" She held it out to him happily. Shadow took the proffered book and examined it curiously. It was clearly a children's book, large but thin, and slightly worn. The title on the cover read, 'The Christmas Spider.' "You said that Maria-san read you stories every Christmas," Cream explained softly. "This is my favorite Christmas story."

There were very few times in his life where Shadow felt truly overwhelmed, and he took pride in that fact. But at this moment, pride could find neither home nor hold within his heart. He gazed down at the book in his hands with new eyes. The slightly smudged cover, pages worn from use… this was no mere book, but a cherished treasure.

And she was giving it to _him_.

"Cream," he breathed, looking down into hazel eyes that radiated love. _Love._ He hadn't realized how much he had missed that feeling. He half-kneeled, half-fell to the floor and embraced her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Shadow-san," she replied softly.

After a few moments he released her, an idea occurring to him. "Tell me," he began, holding up the book. "Is this one of the stories your father would read to you?" The rabbit-girl nodded, a hint of sadness in her eyes despite her smile. _It isn't much,_ he thought, _but I owe it to her to at least try_. "Could I read it to you tonight?"

Cream's eyes widened and began to fill with tears before she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Oh yes, Shadow-san," she sobbed happily. "I would like that very much."

Once her sobs had subsided, she pulled away, Cheese helping her to wipe away her tears. "Cream," her mother said quietly. "Why don't you go get ready for bed. We'll meet you in your room." The sniffling child nodded and dashed back up the stairs, Cheese in tow. "Thank you, Shadow," she said, bowing in his direction. As she straightened he noted that she looked on the verge of tears as well.

"No, thank _you_," he replied earnestly. "You've both done so much for me. More than you can know."

Ten minutes later they were gathered in Cream's room—Cream and Cheese tucked snugly in bed, Shadow at her bedside, and Vanilla hovering near the doorway. Once they were situated, Shadow opened the book. "Now, I'm not very experienced at this," he cautioned, "so you may have to help me out a little." Both rabbit and Chao nodded enthusiastically, clearly eager for him to begin. He cleared his throat and began to read. "'Once upon a time--'"

"No, silly," Cream interrupted with a giggle. "You have to read the title first!"

"Of course!" he replied, shaking his head melodramatically. "How could I forget? Let's try that again… 'The Christmas Spider.' Better?"

"Yes, but… we can't see the pictures."

"You're right! How silly of me!" he mock-chastised himself once again. He scooted his chair closer and oriented himself so that they could both see the pages. "Better?"

She nodded happily. "Much better!"

"Chao chao!" Cheese agreed.

"Good. Let's start again.

"'The Christmas Spider. Once upon a time there was a spider that lived in a cave near a little town called Bethlehem. One cold winter night a mother and father with their little baby boy came into the spider's cave to hide from the soldiers looking for them.

"'This is the Christ Child!' the spider said to himself when he saw the boy. 'I must give him something. But I am so small, what could I ever give to him?' Then the little spider noticed the baby shivering from the cold. 'I will spin a web to keep him warm.'

"'And so the spider began spinning a web over the entrance of the cave. He weaved and weaved, faster than he had ever weaved before, until he had covered the whole opening. The Christ Child was warm now, and the spider was happy.

"'The next morning the soldiers were checking the caves and saw the spider's web. 'This web would have taken weeks to make,' they said. 'No one could have hidden here.' And so the soldiers left, and the child was safe.

"'Once the soldiers were gone, the family came out of the cave. As they passed through the entrance the Christ Child touched the spider's web, and it turned into silver and gold. The little spider was amazed. His web had never looked so beautiful! He would always remember the simple gift he had given, and the wonderful gift he received in return.'

"The end," Shadow concluded, closing the book. However, Cream and Cheese were already sound asleep, smiles on their faces. He, too, smiled and stroked the rabbit's head affectionately.

"Merry Christmas, Cream."

* * *

Author's Notes

Yay! It's finished! Well… almost. There's just the epilogue left, and that'll be really short AND I WILL GET IT DONE THIS WEEK IF IT KILLS ME!

You can thank my new Transformers obsession for the Metal Sonic bit (yes, that was him if you hadn't guessed). I'd come up with the idea a long time ago, but reading lotsa TF fanfiction made writing a robot so much easier! XD

The Christmas Spider thing is actually a story that my seminary teacher would tell us each Christmas. I don't know where she got it from, so I kinda paraphrased it from memory. I just thought it was a cute story and wanted to incorporate it here for EPIC FLUFFINESS. Or something. Wow… and I just realized that I managed to parallel that story with MY story. I AM SO AWESOME!

…right, I think its time for bed now.


	5. Epilogue

Author's Notes

Last part! Yay! Two updates in two days! Double-yay! But this chapter is very short, so that's why. n.n; Just a little humor and a little sweet sappiness to wrap things up!

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

Fists and feet flew, each blow precisely calculated to maximize impact without permanently damaging the target. Oh, how satisfying it was to strike at that wretched face again and again without fear of repercussion! How invigorating it was to vent his frustrations on this ingenious device! 

How amusing it was to imagine his true _Master_ in its place.

"_Metal Sonic!_"

The robot froze mid-swing, his processor halting abruptly as though struck by something large and solid (his self-preservation protocols quickly squashed the image of his Master that popped up at _that _thought). Slowly he turned his head toward the voice. There, standing in the doorway was a rather irate-looking Dr. Eggman.

"What, exactly," the bulbous man growled, "do you think you are doing?"

Caught between his murderous-looking Master and the bobo-doll duplicate that still bobbed back and forth incriminatingly, only one thought crossed Metal's processor.

_Scrap!_

* * *

It was quiet, dark—but not completely so. It was fortunate that on this Christmas Day the full brightness of the moon shone through the abandoned lab's windows. Shadow stood there, observing both moon and Earth as he had so many times before with Maria. He looked around at the darkened lab, picturing in his mind the garland strung around the door, the wreath over the window, the tiny fake tree on the Professor's desk. 

He allowed himself to be lost in those memories for a few minutes before turning back to the window. He opened the box he was carrying and removed its contents—three Luna Blossoms bound together with a red ribbon. Gently, he set the flowers down on the windowsill. The light of the moon spilled over them and, true to the old woman's word, the white flowers seemed to glow just as brilliantly. Shadow smiled softly, lightly touching the luminescent petals. "Merry Christmas, Maria, Professor."

Setting the empty box down, he pulled out the other item he carried and leaned his back against the window. "You used to always read stories to me, Maria. Now I want to share this one with you. A… friend," he smiled at the word, "gave it to me."

And so he began to read, under the ethereal light of the moon.

_The End _

* * *

Author's Notes

It's finished! It's finally finished! _I actually finished a non-oneshot story! _Hurray :D Thank you to all of my readers and reviewers, especially those who stuck around despite my slow-as-molasses updates. n.n; I hope you've enjoyed it!

Sadly, this will be my last posting here for a long while, as I'll be leaving for 18 months. So sorry to those who are waiting for updates on my other stories! n.n; I'll hopefully still have the motivation to continue them when I get back...

Thank you all again for your time and attention. n.n


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